The subject matter described herein relates generally to electrical connectors and, more particularly, to contacts for electrical connectors.
Circuit boards generally include electrical headers that are configured to receive a card module or the like. The electrical header includes a dielectric housing having contacts extending therethrough. The contacts include a mounting end and a mating end. The mounting end joins to the circuit board to electrically couple the electrical header to the circuit board. The mating end is configured to engage and electrically couple to the card module. An intermediate portion extends between the mounting end and the mating end. The intermediate portion is configured to be over-molded with insulation. The insulation controls electromagnetic interference within the dielectric housing. The insulation also creates an interference fit to retain the contact within the dielectric housing. Some electrical headers include a shield which extends along the intermediate portions of the contacts. The shield is joined to a shield attachment area of the contacts. The shield attachment area is not over-molded within insulation. Leaving the shield attachment area exposed provides an electrical connection between the shield attachment area and the shield.
The contacts are typically stamped and formed in a press. The shield attachment area is formed by opposing walls of the press. In particular, the walls are pushed together to form parallel sides of the shield attachment area. The mounting end and the mating end are formed by a similar process. The intermediate portion of the contact is then over-molded with insulation. During the over-molding process, the shield attachment area is isolated from the insulation with panels formed in the mold. Isolating the shield attachment area prevents the shield attachment area from being insulated. Accordingly, the shield attachment area remains exposed after the over-molding process.
However conventional contacts are not without their disadvantages. During the stamping and forming process, the sides of the shield attachment area may be formed unevenly. Specifically, a top of the shield attachment area may have a width greater than the width of a bottom of the shield attachment area. The sides of the shield attachment area flare outward from the bottom to the top. When the shield attachment area is non-uniformly formed, complications may arise during the over-molding process. For example, the flared sides of the shield attachment area may create a gap between the shield attachment area and the panel of the mold used, in the over-molding process. During the over-molding process, insulation may seep through the gap and into the isolated shield attachment area, thereby causing flashing. The flashing results in unwanted strips of insulation being formed on the shield attachment area. Generally, the unwanted strips of insulation are difficult to remove and the contact must be discarded.
A need remains for a contact having a shield attachment area that can be isolated from insulation during an over-molding process.